


Just Another Magic AU

by draagonfly



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M, i can't think of any tags rn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 12:06:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6115930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draagonfly/pseuds/draagonfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people of Midorijima fear and hate magic and it's users, believing them to be dangerous and chaotic. Enter Aoba, a witch with a part-time job and a penchant for befriending oddballs, and Noiz, the new guy on the island who prefers to keep to himself but will put up with a few hours of small talk for free pizza. Apparently, a date with Noiz is a date with trouble, but Aoba already has enough problems of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot I needed a title. Whoops.
> 
> I know that I'm far from the first person to do a NoiAo Magic AU, so I thought I'd post the first couple chapters to see if anyone is even interested in another one. That said, this work is nowhere near finished, so any /constructive/ feedback about pretty much anything is more than welcome. ♥
> 
> Also, I'm sorry about the uneven chapters...  
> Enjoy! :D

It started as innocuously as anything. Aoba had a habit of seeking out those who stood out, who didn’t fit in for one reason or another, and trying to befriend them. Maybe it was because he himself was so different from almost everyone, even if outwardly he was normal as could be. His attempts at friendship had worked out swimmingly with Clear, who now had a permanent place in their – meaning Aoba, Mizuki, and Koujaku’s – group of friends. Mink was included as well, he supposed, seeing as he and Clear were sort of a package deal. He didn’t think there could be two more opposite people on the planet, but they seemed to get along fine (more than fine, but that wasn’t really his business) so he didn’t think too much about it. Anyway, Clear was one of many he had attempted to befriend over the years, and though he was the only one who had really stuck around, almost all of the people Aoba had talked to had appreciated the gesture, or at least pretended to.

Except this one.

Aoba had first noticed him a few days ago, sitting at the bar in Black Needle, focused intensely on his coil and not really interacting with anyone around him. That wasn’t a strange thing by any means, and the only reason Aoba had given him a second glance was because of his appearance. He inferred that the guy was probably a younger than he was, partly because he looked young, and partly because his fashion choices seemed like something those new-age kids would wear. He could see Kio or Nao wearing something similar in a few years. But that wasn’t the unusual part – it was the piercings that really caught Aoba’s attention. There was more metal in his face than Aoba had seen on any entire person in his life, not including the studs he saw in the person’s ears or hands. _That_ was definitely unusual. Aoba briefly considered trying to start up a conversation, if only to indulge his own curiosity about the piercings, but the guy seemed pretty focused on whatever he was doing, so Aoba left him alone.

When Aoba kept seeing him, always in the same place at the same time, staring down at his coil and completely ignoring the goings-on around him, he started to become interested. He wasn’t drinking very much from what Aoba could tell, and he clearly wasn’t here to socialize seeing as he never spoke to anyone or did anything besides type away on his coil. He could’ve been there for a tattoo, but he was the type of guy Mizuki would’ve mentioned right away, so it was probably safe to rule that out. Aoba wasn’t particularly invested in the guy’s intentions, he was just interesting to observe (and it helped that he wasn’t exactly unattractive).

The fourth night that Aoba saw him sitting at the bar, doing exactly what he always did, he decided to take action. He excused himself from his conversation with Koujaku and a few members of Beni-Shigure and made his way over to the corner where the reclusive stranger spent his evenings.

“Hey,” He smiled brightly even though the person didn’t so much as glance up at him. His smile faltered a bit. He had never been outright ignored before. “Um, I noticed you were kind of by yourself over here, so I was wondering if you’d like some company?” At least this time the person’s eyes flickered up from his hologram screen to look at him, and Aoba was immediately surprised at how bright his eyes were, even in the dim lighting of the bar. Not bright as in warm and full of life, but penetrating and cold. They were a striking green, catching the light in a way that they almost seemed to glow. He wondered how someone could look so alive but also so empty. As the person looked back down, Aoba made his decision. He would befriend this person if it took him the rest of life.

“I guess I’ll take your silence to mean you have no objections then?” If Aoba hadn’t been looking, he would’ve missed the nearly imperceptible scowl that marred the guy’s features as he made himself comfortable on a nearby stool. “I’m Aoba, from the East District. And you are?” He looked at the person expectantly. When he didn’t receive an answer again, he fleetingly considered using his voice, just a little, but figured the person would probably notice which would be more than a little counterproductive. Most people on this island weren’t very accepting of the few who could use magic, so it was better to play it safe, just in case. So he stared until the person looked up at him again.

“What do you want?” His voice was low and a little hoarse, maybe from disuse, and he had a slight accent though Aoba couldn’t pinpoint from where. His speech was also more polite than he expected.

“Hm? Nothing in particular. Except to know your name, I suppose.” The scowl was more prominent now, but Aoba wasn’t fazed. They were talking, and that was progress.

“Why do you care?”

“Because I’d like to know how to address the person I’m speaking to.” The person’s forehead creased as though he was trying to solve a difficult puzzle, and Aoba thought he saw a flicker of emotion in those empty eyes, but it might have been a trick of the light.

“Then don’t speak to me.”

And with that, he turned his gaze back to the screen in front of him, effectively ending the exchange. Aoba sat and stared for a moment, jarred by the abruptness with which the conversation ended. When the guy continued to ignore him more pointedly than before, Aoba stood awkwardly and walked slowly back to Koujaku’s table. That definitely hadn’t gone as well as Aoba had hoped. He had never encountered someone so resistant to conversation, and he had met a lot of people. Next time he would go in with a plan, and there definitely would be a next time. There was no way he was giving up on this person so easily.

* * *

“So, how’d it go with the guy with the piercings?” Koujaku called out to him as he dodged the other customers and took a seat in the booth across the table. Aoba shrugged with an expression that said “I tried”.

“He asked what I wanted and then essentially told me to go away.” Koujaku huffed and crossed his arms, obviously unimpressed.

“What a rude guy. Have they stopped teaching kids manners?”

Ignoring the comment, Aoba stole a sip from Koujaku’s glass, found it to be a lot stronger than he anticipated and immediately put it down. “I think he’s foreign, so that might be it.”

“Foreign or not, manners are manners.” Aoba just waved him off and happened to catch the tail end of the conversation between a few members of Dry Juice taking place next to them.

 

“…got whacked by Akushima. Apparently magic doesn’t make you bullet proof.”

“Of course not, or witches would have taken over the island by now.”

“They might be planning to, with all the fights that have been happening lately. I heard one blew up an entire building in the North District last week.”

“I heard that too!”

“Better be careful not to cross a witch…”

 

Aoba sighed and turned away. He was itching to defend himself, and all the magic users of the island, but he couldn’t do that without exposing himself. Though the bar was loud enough that he could complain to Koujaku without being overheard. Koujaku seemed to have been listening too and sent him a sympathetic look.

“Don’t think too much about it. It’s just rumors.”

“I’m pretty sure someone did blow up a building though. I remember Granny ranting about it at dinner the other day. ‘Stupid kids, don’t they realize how much trouble they’re making for the rest of us?!’ and so on.” Just remembering the sheer volume of that conversation made him flinch. “But it’s just as easy to blow up a building _without_ magic as it is with it!” Aoba let his head fall into his hand as he glared down at the table.

“I know, Aoba. There’s not much to be done about it though, so it’s better to just relax.” He laid a reassuring hand over Aoba’s forearm and smiled gently.

“Yeah, I know. It just bothers me is all.” He returned the smile and then adopted a more exasperated expression. “And that lady-killer smile doesn’t work on me, so I hope you’re not expecting me to fawn over you.”

“’Lady-killer’? How mean, and here I was just trying to comfort my important friend.” The teasing smile was enough to tell Aoba that he knew he wasn’t serious, and neither was Koujaku. He might be a witch, but he wasn’t the kind that everyone was so afraid of. Sitting here, joking with his friends and having a good time – this was the kind of witch he was. The kind most magic users were, whether ordinary people believed it or not.

“Watch it, or I’ll blow up your house.” He almost laughed when Koujaku’s eyes widened a little.

“Do you really know how to blow up a house?”

“No, but I bet Ren does.” That was mostly true. He probably could destroy a house if he tried, but he had no intention of ever using his magic like that. As for Ren, being a combat familiar, Aoba was sure he knew a spell or two for large-scale destruction.

“Wow. Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“Whatever, hippo.”

Through their conversation, Aoba’s rejection by the stranger earlier fled his mind, and the evening passed uneventfully.

* * *

Two days later, Aoba walked into Black Needle with purpose and determination. He was a little later than usual thanks to a last minute delivery to the courier, but he wasn’t worried – at least until he saw that the stool that guy normally occupied was empty. That… was a pretty big flaw in his plan. He hadn’t thought about what to do if he wasn’t here, since he was always here. He decided to wait around a bit, see if he showed up later and occupied himself by talking to various people he knew from Dry Juice and Beni-Shigure. He kept an eye on the corner the whole time, though once an entire hour had come and gone, he figured piercing-guy (as he had taken to calling him) wasn’t showing up. Aoba hoped he hadn’t scared him off, though he didn’t seem the type to be scared off that easily. His absence likely had nothing to do with Aoba at all. Either way he decided to call it a night, even though it was barely eight, and walked home telling himself he wasn’t disappointed.

* * *

Three days after that, Aoba was back at Black Needle, listening to Clear talk animatedly about the newest addition to his collection of glass bottles when by chance (not because he was waiting, absolutely not) his eyes glanced toward the corner stool, immediately widening at what he saw there.

Piercing-guy was back.

He apologized to Clear who looked a little hurt that Aoba didn’t want to listen to his story about finding the bottle under a box of old shoes, and walked purposefully over to the person he had been hoping to see. Just like the first time, he didn’t get so much as a glance as he plopped down on the same stool right next to him.

“Hey again,” He smiled just as brightly as he had the first time, and received just as much acknowledgement – meaning none at all. Aoba wasn’t deterred – he still had his ace up his sleeve, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. He would wait a little longer though, to maximize the effectiveness. “Talkative as ever I see.” That earned him another scowl, but it was better than nothing. At least now he had his attention.

“Will you tell me your name? You know mine, so it’s only fair that I know yours too, right?” Piercing-guy narrowed eyes slightly, but still didn’t look away from his coil.

“I never asked to know your name.”

“Well… that’s technically true, but you do anyway. How about this, you tell me your name, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about me. Anything.”

Well, almost anything, but Aoba doubted he would ask something like that anyway. Magic wasn’t necessarily taboo, but it didn’t often come up in normal conversation. Piercing-guy seemed to consider it, and to Aoba’s surprise shut down his coil with a sigh, like it was really an inconvenience to be having this conversation. But Aoba figured if it was, he would have said so, so he didn’t worry too much.

“Fine. My name is Noiz.” He was still looking to the side as Aoba sounded out the foreign syllables.

“Noi-zu? Haha, sorry, I’m not very good with western languages. I’ll work on it though. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Noiz.” Noiz had no reaction to Aoba’s stumbling over his name or the greeting, waiting until Aoba was finished to speak again.

“So now you know my name. What do you want?” Aoba paused for a moment, recalling that he had been asked the same thing before. Did he give off the impression that he wanted something? If he did, it wasn’t intentional.

“I told you last time, I don’t want anything from you. I’d just like to talk, get to know you better. I haven’t seen you around before.”

Noiz raised his eyebrows and snorted like that was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.

“Sure. No one talks to a stranger like this just to talk or ‘get to know them’ or whatever.” Aoba creased his eyebrows in concern. He sensed there was a bigger issue here than simply disliking conversation. “I answered your question, now you answer mine. Are you here for information? Sex? Money? You should know I don’t work jobs without referrals.”

Aoba was completely taken aback. Why would Noiz think he wanted any of that?

“W-what the hell?! I told you I don’t want anything! Especially not that.” Noiz looked unconvinced.

“Then we’re done here.” He lifted his arm to restart his coil, but Aoba was quicker and grabbed his wrist. Noiz’s eyes snapped up faster than Aoba thought was possible to glare at him. “Don’t touch me.”

Aoba was going to throw some of that stubbornness back at him and teach him a thing or two about manners, but something about the way Noiz spoke made him believe that he was being completely genuine. So he let go.

“I’m sorry.”

Noiz was still looking at him angrily, but there was a flash of confusion mixed in before the entire expression morphed back into uncaring indifference.

“Whatever. If you want something, speak up. If not, I’m busy.” When Aoba didn’t respond, Noiz pulled up his coil and immediately began typing again.

Beyond confused, and maybe a little insulted, Aoba stood up and left again without saying goodbye. He didn’t think Noiz cared.

* * *

“ _Ren, come_.”

A small burst of pixelated light appeared at his feet and gradually took the form of a puff of blue fur from the paws up.

“Good evening, Aoba.”

“Evening, Ren.” Aoba couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his tiny familiar and best friend. He had first summoned Ren a long time ago, when he was very young and still learning about the powers he held. Of course, he had only chosen this particular familiar because his animal form was fluffy and blue, which were two of his favorite things at the time (who was he kidding, they still were), not realizing that Ren was actually a combat familiar meant for fighting enemies both magical and ordinary. His grandmother hadn’t approved and had tried to get him to summon a different one, a safer one, but Aoba was already attached. It helped that Ren was a dog-type, meaning he was loyal and protective and promised to take good care of his new master. He had done a great job so far, even if the only thing he needed to protect Aoba from was his own habit of overthinking things.

“Hey, Ren, do you think I come off as exploitative?” He picked up the tiny Spitz and sat down on his bed, only to fall over sideways when sitting up became too much work.

“I am afraid I do not understand the context,” Ren replied in his deep, almost monotone voice; the disparity of his form and his voice still sometimes made Aoba laugh, though he was too preoccupied for that now.

“Hm… it’s sort of like, if someone – a stranger – came up to you and started a conversation, would you assume they wanted something from you?” Saying it like that makes it sound weirder than it was, but Ren considered it as he made himself comfortable on Aoba’s lap.

“Aoba, did you try to make a friend again?”

“It sounds weird when you say it like that!” Aoba was blushing now, but he really didn’t think it was all that strange. That’s the reason people go to bars, to socialize and drink their problems away. He sighed. “But you’re not wrong, I guess. He was holed up in a corner by himself, not drinking or anything, so I tried to talk to him. I got his name, but then he accused me of wanting money or sex or something. But I don’t know what I did to make him think that way.”

“Perhaps it was nothing that you did. None of your other encounters have had these results. It is likely that this person reacts in this manner to everyone.” Aoba’s frown deepened. That’s a very sad way to experience the world. Even if there are people who want those things, it’s not fair or healthy to assume the worst of everyone. He wondered if it was even possible to think so negatively – then he remembered the dead look in Noiz’s eyes and decided Ren may have a point.

“It’s possible…” He trailed off and stared at the ceiling. He wondered if it was possible to befriend someone so distrusting, especially if Aoba would have also have to lie to him to an extent. He probably wasn’t the right person to get close to Noiz, but he was going to try anyway.

“Are you staying here tonight, or going back to sleep?” He looked back down at Ren, who was still sitting obediently on his legs.

“I will do whatever Aoba wishes of me.” Aoba rolled his eyes and looked back to the ceiling.

“Now I’m definitely feeling exploitative.”

“I apologize. It was not my intended meaning.” Ren bowed his head like a real dog would and looked up at him with the most apologetic puppy eyes he could muster.

“I’m just kidding, Ren,” he laughed and picked him up, laying down on the bed and settling him on his chest. “Stay here for a bit. You’re warm.”

“Understood.” Ren turned in a circle and curled up on Aoba’s ribcage. He was so light that if it weren’t for the warmth, he might not have been there at all.

“Thanks, Ren. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chap is coming in a minute here


	2. Chapter 2

_Aoba had always been different, and not only because of his now striking blue hair. When he was born, before he was ‘Aoba’, he had almost no pigment except for a few strange black markings covering his body. That, coupled with the fact that he had not only been born a twin, but a twin connected to his brother by the hair had been enough to scare his parents into dumping them both at an old church. He and his twin were kept hidden away in the church basement for three years, until one day a woman who claimed to be familiar with their condition took them away._

_It had been wonderful at first, having a home with a warm bed and fresh cooked meals. As they hadn’t been named, they were allowed to choose their own, with their new guardian’s approval. It was a big decision to give to four year old twins, but neither had tried to rush the decision. Weeks were spent brainstorming and making lists of possible names they could choose, but ultimately their names came from each other. Finally, almost a month after the task had been set before them, they stood in front of their adoptive grandmother and told her that they wanted to be called Sei and Aoba._

_They spent their days playing in the sunlight that filtered into the house, not allowed to go outside because of their strange appearance, but at least it was bright and comfortable. The grandmother, Tae, had asked them if they wanted to cut their hair to make it easier to move and play, but they had of course refused and clung to each other until Tae had promised that she would leave their connected hair alone. Not once did they ever consider separation to be something they wanted._

_Aside from the obvious abnormalities, the twins also had something else that set them apart from most of the world. It was the reason they had been abandoned and also the reason Tae had decided to take them in. Both twins had innate capabilities for using magic, as well as certain powers, similar but different, which they could use to manipulate the people and things around them. Sei’s power was in his eyes, and Aoba’s in his voice. They both had the ability to control someone’s consciousness to an extent, though they never really had reason nor opportunity to use it._

_Besides their shared magic and manipulation abilities, they each had another power unique to them. Sei was able to fracture his own consciousness and put the pieces into different vessels – he liked to move himself into TV’s and coils, to observe the world outside of their home. He and Aoba spent countless nights discussing the things that Sei saw, things that they probably would never get to experience for themselves. Aoba was never jealous of his brother for being able to see those things first hand – seeing his brother light up with excitement and hearing his voice filled with so much happiness was Aoba’s favorite thing in the world._

_He was a little envious however, that his brother had a power so useful and exciting. Aoba couldn’t break himself apart – but he could break other things. Where Sei could create, Aoba could destroy, though he never wanted to. He had done it on accident once, to a stray cat. To be fair, the cat was vicious and threatening, and Sei was far too trusting for his own good. It had only taken one word and the previously angry and hissing cat was lying motionless on the ground, breathing, but not alive. He didn’t let go of Sei for two days after that, and refused to speak in more than a whisper for fear of hurting his brother or Granny. He had eventually forgiven himself, and thanks to a lot of coaxing from Sei allowed himself to speak freely again._

_And so the years passed relatively uneventfully. It turned out that the reason Tae had taken them in was because she herself was a magic-user, and an alchemist. She taught the twins how to control their own magic and how to develop skills more widely used by mages around the world. It was from Tae that they learned to use sigils and enchantments, alchemy and arithmancy, both boys learning everything they could about this small, secret world they got to be a part of._

_They knew it was secret because Tae had told them so – she was known by the community as the local pharmacist, instead of the alchemist she truly was. She told them it was for their own safety, that most people felt threatened by magic and feared the things that they couldn’t understand. That was why they had to stay indoors, as their coloring and hair would give them away and they could be targeted. It was fine for them though. They had no reason to venture past the walls of their home, no interest in anything but each other and the powers they had._

_Sei immediately found his talent in sigil drawing. His observant nature lending itself easily to finding patterns and shapes in anything, able to convey his three dimensional visions into two dimensional shapes. Aoba was drawn to anything vocal, enchantments and conjuring being his strengths. They were seven when Aoba first conjured Ren, and Sei completed his first protection spell. From there, they advanced quickly, becoming more and more skilled with each passing day._

_Those peaceful and fun filled days were some of Aoba’s favorite memories. He spent countless hours reminiscing and smiling to himself, remembering all of the trouble they had caused Granny with their endless questions and experiments. Ren of course had been there for almost all of it, but was always willing to lend an ear when Aoba felt like remembering out loud or needed something physical to remind him that it hadn’t been a dream, that those days were real and not just a false memory induced by his own loneliness after the fact. Because more often than not, he was incredibly lonely._

_It was the time after that when he and Sei were eleven, just before their twelfth birthday that he didn’t like to remember. Those few weeks were the ones that stood out most prominently in his mind, the ones that gave him nightmares that took days to bounce back from. Aoba avoided thinking about it as much as he could, but he often found the thoughts creeping in when he was most vulnerable._

_At first the twins thought they were just tired; they had been staying up later and practicing harder, trying to master more and more complicated spells. Aoba had taken to keeping Ren with him most of the time, only sending him back to Rhyme, the magical dimension he came from, when he slept. Sei more often than not had a few fractured pieces of himself moving around Midorijima, finding new patterns to use in his sigils._

_The small bodies of two eleven year olds couldn’t handle the stress they subjected themselves to, and soon they were both too exhausted to even get out of bed. Sei seemed to have the worst of it; sleeping more often than he was awake, his eyes getting duller by the day. Aoba was terrified. Tae tried everything she could to strengthen him, but nothing was working – he had broken himself apart too many times, and now he was struggling to keep himself together._

_Tae worried, not only for Sei, but for Aoba as well. She wasn’t sure how their connected hair would affect them, not to mention that because of their connection, Aoba was bedridden as much as Sei, even when his exhaustion faded and he felt well enough to move around. It wasn’t healthy to be confined like this, nor to watch his twin suffer day and night._

_When she brought up the separation again, Aoba predictably refused right away. He didn’t care if Sei was sick or if it was dangerous – he and Sei had always been connected, and they always would be. He refused to even entertain the idea. Sei however seemed to have changed his mind somewhat. Aoba was heartbroken when Sei had agreed to think about it, and spent the next few days giving his brother the silent treatment._

_But as Sei only got worse, and as Aoba realized what the outcome would likely be, the guilt at ignoring his twin won over his stubbornness. He agreed to talk to Sei about it. Though it wasn’t as much of a discussion as it was mutually accepting what was bound to happen. In the end, they agreed to cut their hair._

_They didn’t do it right away though. They spent another three days just as they always had, lying tangled together, increasingly hesitant to let each other out of their grasp. Every moment that Sei was awake they talked, reminiscing on the adventures Sei had had outside on the island, on how many tries it taken Aoba to mix a simple headache potion, and most often on all of the successes in magic they had shared._

_Finally, the day came when Sei was too weak to hold a conversation. Aoba did his best to continue as they always had, doing all the talking for the both of them, letting Sei just listen, and feeling his heart break a little more each time Sei tried to smile but ended up only grimacing. He couldn’t keep the tears from falling when Sei interrupted one of his favorite stories with a weak but determined hug. He didn’t need to say anything for Aoba to understand what he meant. He returned the hug tenfold, refusing to let go even as Tae entered the room and Sei nodded at her question of “Are you ready?”_

_They laid side by side, fingers intertwined, as Tae fetched a pair of scissors and sat on the bed near their feet and they stared into each other’s eyes, saying everything they couldn’t say out loud with just their gaze. Tae lifted the center of their hair and their grip tightened as she brought the blade to the strands and made the first cut._

_It was a painful experience, both because it physically hurt like 100,000 paper cuts on over-exposed nerves, and also because they were becoming two completely separate beings for the first time in their lives. Their hair was too thick to cut in one go, so they suffered through four distinct cuts before it was completely severed. But even once the pain had subsided the tears didn’t stop; neither Aoba nor Sei could help themselves from mourning the connection, and from thinking about what was coming next._

_Ironically, or expectedly, the twins were even more inseparable afterwards. They clung to each other night and day, unwilling to leave each other even for a minute. In the few days after that, Aoba felt his energy returning faster. He wasn’t tired as often, and found himself feeling restless being confined to the bed. But he refused to leave. Sei was the opposite – cutting their hair had seemed to weaken him further, until he was sleeping or resting for all but two or three hours each day._

_One day, the day they had been dreading since they had gotten sick, Sei slept for a full 24 hours before waking up barely enough to be considered conscious. Aoba was sleeping then, as he should be at three in the morning. Aoba wouldn’t remember this until much later, but he stirred slightly as he felt Sei shift closer to him and wrap his arms further around him. He fell asleep again as Sei pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and settled into his shoulder._

_Aoba woke up to find Sei still asleep, which had been normal the past few days, but he knew intuitively that something was different. Sei’s normally firm hold around his brother was weak and he couldn’t feel the comforting rise and fall of Sei’s chest as he breathed shallowly. There was no movement at all aside from Aoba’s careful shifting out of the bed. It was the first time had been able to move completely freely, without the constant tethering of his hair to his twin. He felt sick._

_He stood up slowly, his newly cut hair swinging heavily behind him in time with his movements, mind completely blank. Rather, it might have been blank, or it might have been too overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts and despair that his eleven year old brain couldn’t process it all. His brother was gone. His brother was gone and his hair was cut and he was all alone. Aoba turned to look one more time at his twins face and_

He woke with a gasp and tears already spilling over his cheeks. It wasn’t a strange occurrence to dream about his childhood, but that didn’t mean he was used to it. It was the same every time, reading like a storybook, an unforgivably vivid and true storybook of the best and worst days of his life. There were no triggers, no warning for when the thoughts would invade his dreams. His chest hurt and his eyes stung and even though it was already daylight, he couldn’t manage anything more than to curl up on his side and sob quietly into his pillow.

* * *

“Come have dinner with me.”

This time when Aoba met Noiz at the bar, he didn’t waste time with ‘hello’ or ‘please don’t offer me sex and money’, because that wasn’t productive and he figured that Noiz had a limited amount of pointless chatter that he was willing to put up with. So Aoba got to the point.

Noiz didn’t necessarily look shocked, but his usual apathetic expression lifted just a bit. “Huh? Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m inviting you. And it’s free food. And I’ll let you pick where we go.” Aoba stood with his arms crossed, ready to drag him out of this bar if he had to.

“Pizza?” Apparently this would be easier than he thought.

“Sure. Whatever you want.” He raised his eyebrows as Noiz sat considering it, coil screen still open. Aoba was pretty sure that everything on it was written in Roman letters, and he was very sure he couldn’t even begin to comprehend it. Not that he was snooping.

“Fine.” Noiz stood up and shut off his coil. “There’s a pizza place a couple blocks from here.” He turned and started walking towards the door, but paused and looked back when he sensed Aoba wasn’t following him.

“Ah, right, okay. Let’s go.” Aoba was surprised at how simple that was. He was expecting it to be a lot more difficult than just letting him pick what he wanted to eat. It was almost too easy, and that was suspicious. He elected not to say anything, yet, and followed Noiz out the door.

 

They arrived at the pizza place with no problems – just as Noiz said, it was only two and a half blocks from the bar. It was nearly deserted at this hour, but the lights were on and he saw a couple people milling about at the counter near the back.

They took a seat at a booth in the corner and waited for someone to come take their order. Aoba was acutely aware that Noiz was staring at him, but he did his best to seem unperturbed.

“What are you staring at?” His voice was shakier than he would’ve liked, but he kept up his confident demeanor well enough.

“You, obviously.” Aoba met his eyes directly and was a little surprised to find that they were just as striking and dangerous looking in the bright lights of the restaurant. He didn’t break eye-contact, sensing that Noiz was attempting to assert dominance by making Aoba be the first to look away. He wouldn’t be giving in that easily – or so he thought.

“What can I get you?” Aoba jumped, completely taken off guard by the waitress who appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Unfortunately, that meant he also looked away first – he hoped Noiz didn’t think he had won because of that. Noiz was as calm as ever as he looked to the waitress and then back at Aoba.

“I told you, get whatever you want.”

Noiz eyed him suspiciously. “You don’t have any preferences?”

“Not really.” Aoba shrugged. “Anything’s fine with me, as long as you’re not one of those weirdos who gets peanut butter or something.”

Noiz smirked at him, the first semblance of a smile Aoba had seen from him. It wasn’t comforting in the least. “Hm. Maybe I’ll get extra peanut butter then.”

Aoba rolled his eyes. “If you really want to, go ahead.” That seemed to be the wrong thing to say however, because suddenly the smirk was gone and replaced immediately with a scowl.

“Large, pepperoni, banana peppers, and pineapple. Extra cheese.” Well, at least it got him to order something.

“And water, please.” Aoba added.

The waitress nodded with a smile clouded by exhaustion and walked back to the kitchen. Aoba had to commend her on her patience. He turned back to Noiz and found he was staring again, and it was definitely starting to make Aoba uncomfortable. “Seriously, why are you staring at me?”

“Because I don’t get you.” Noiz narrowed his eyes further, like squinting would make Aoba any easier to read. “Why are we here?”

Aoba sat back in his seat and raised an eyebrow. “Because you wanted pizza, and you wanted to come here to get it.” Of course, Aoba knew there was a deeper meaning to that question, and Noiz knew that he knew, but Aoba wasn’t going to make this too easy. He wanted Noiz to say exactly what he was thinking.

“I mean why are you getting pizza with me? What’s in it for you?” Aoba sighed. This again. He thought back to his conversation with Ren, and tried to form his response in a way that might make more sense.

“There’s nothing in it for me. I’m eating pizza with you because I feel like it. Stuff like this is how you get to know people, make friends.” Noiz’s eyebrows only creased further. Maybe he wasn’t being as clear as he thought. Or maybe Noiz really was that jaded and thought Aoba was lying to him.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Why not?”

“Because no one does something for nothing. So buy me pizza, whatever, but stop wasting my time by playing nice.” He sounded angry now. That probably wasn’t a good sign, and Aoba didn’t want him to storm out and never speak to him again. He’d have to backtrack a little.

“Okay, how about this. Stay here and talk to me until the food arrives. That’s all. If you really hate it that much, you don’t have to stay. I’ll buy the pizza and leave you alone. Just talk to me until then – that’s what I want from you.” Aoba really hoped he wasn’t pushing his luck, but his answer seemed to satisfy Noiz at least a little, and he relaxed his muscles and sat back against the chair. Noiz’s eyes still held suspicion, but the anger was gone. Good. That’s exactly what Aoba was hoping for – to keep him interested, but not hostile.

“Fine. So talk.”

“Nope, that’s not the deal. You have to talk too. That’s how a conversation works.”

“I don’t have anything to say.”

“Alright, then I’ll ask a question, and you answer it. Okay?” Aoba took his silence as affirmation and tapped his chin as he thought of what he wanted to ask. He’ll start simple. “Hm. What’s your favorite animal?”

“Rabbits.” Aoba was shocked at the immediate answer.

“Rabbits, huh? Why do you like them?” He thought that was a safe enough question, but at the steadily darkening expression on Noiz’s face, he quickly tried to backpedal away from the topic. “Ah, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to. Now you ask me a question. And don’t ask what I want, because I’ve already told you.”

Noiz snapped out of whatever thoughts he was having and stared at the table while he thought. “Why do you hang out at that bar?”

“Black Needle? My best friend owns it. It’s actually a tattoo parlor, but the waiting area got turned into a bar kind of on accident. It’s convenient though, as a place to meet up.”

“How does a bar appear on accident?” He sounded genuinely confused now, innocent almost, and Aoba supposed that that was a valid thing to be confused about.

“I guess because of the amount of Ribsters he tattoos. They like to travel in packs, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. So whenever a new member goes to get inked, a group from their team comes with them and hangs out in the waiting area. Probably once he started getting a lot of customers he wanted to make it more inviting and comfortable so he put in a counter and some seating, and now it’s like this.”

Noiz listened surprisingly aptly, and really seemed to want to hear Aoba’s explanation. Perhaps he wasn’t as averse to conversation as Aoba thought. “Did you get your piercings done at a place like that?” Maybe something that he obviously had no issue showing off would be a safer topic.

“Nope. I did them myself.”

“What?! Seriously?”

Noiz seemed amused at his expression, eyes wide and mouth agape, but he couldn’t help it. How could a person voluntarily stick needles into themselves like that?

“Yeah. It’s more convenient than having someone else do it.”

“I mean, yeah, but is it safe? They won’t get infected or anything?”

At that moment, the waitress returned with their pizza and water, setting down two plates and some chopsticks.

“Do you really want to talk about infected piercings over pizza?” Aoba grimaced.

“No, not really…” Then it hit him that Noiz was implying that he wasn’t going to leave. “So you’ll stay and eat with me?”

“I guess.” An excited smile found its way onto Aoba’s face.

“I’m glad.”

That forced another crease in Noiz’s brow, but not an angry one. And that was okay – if Aoba could make him think without getting mad, then he felt he was accomplishing something. As they began to eat, one question kept pushing to the front of Aoba’s mind.

“Can I ask where you’re from? I can hear your accent, but I can’t really place it.”

“Not here.” He didn’t elaborate further and Aoba didn’t push him to. He had already come miles from the silent treatment he got at the bar and the last thing he wanted to do was scare him away now, no matter how curious he was.

“Mm. I’ve never actually been off the island. I’d like to though, even just to the mainland.” Noiz didn’t seem to be too interested in the topic of traveling, so Aoba went back to eating his pizza in silence, trying to think of something else to say. It was harder than he thought; every question that came to him was likely to elicit a negative reaction. His hometown was obviously off-limits, and Aoba assumed that meant family was as well. Even something like a favorite animal was a no-go. So he stayed quiet, hoping that he could think of something to say before it got awkward.

“You look upset.”

Aoba swallowed his bite hurriedly to respond. He hadn’t expected Noiz to be the one to keep the conversation going. “W-what?”

“You. Look upset.” Did he? He really didn’t mean to look that way, he had just been preoccupied for a moment.

“Sorry, I was just thinking too hard, probably.”

“Why?” Aoba assumed Noiz meant why he was thinking so hard, but he wasn’t about to admit that Noiz frustrated him. Not yet, anyway.

“I don’t know, I do that sometimes. Ren always nags me for it, but it’s just a habit I guess.” By the time he realized what he’d said it was too late to take it back. He hoped to any god that was listening that Noiz would let it go.

“Ren?” Damn.

“A-ah, yeah. He’s a friend, from a long time ago.”

“That didn’t sound very convincing.” Shit, he was terrible at making up lies on the spot. There was no way Aoba could let Noiz find out about his magic – probably, Noiz would either think he was lying and leave, or would think he was a freak and leave. Either way, Aoba wasn’t going to let this pseudo-friendship end so quickly. Noiz raised an eyebrow at his extended silence but didn’t question it further. “Whatever, doesn’t matter either way.”

“’Either way’? What do you mean?”

“I don’t care if he’s your boyfriend or whatever.” Aoba choked and quickly gulped down some water to quell the sudden coughing.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Noiz seemed amused at his enthusiastic denial, though Aoba was sure whatever he was thinking was completely off the mark.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Dating a guy.” The smirk that accompanied the remark told Aoba that he was only doing this to get a reaction, but he was completely thrown off track by the direction their conversation had taken.

“I know that!”

“So you are gay then?” This had gotten very personal, very fast, and it was making him a little uncomfortable, but his discomfort was pushed to the side in favor of his relief that Noiz was really making an effort to speak to him. He crossed his arms to keep some semblance of dignity, but he couldn’t keep the blood from pooling in his cheeks.

“I’m pansexual, if you must know, but I don’t see why it matters.”

“Hm.” The low hum was all he got in response, and though he was glad the topic had been steered away from anything dangerous, he still felt like Noiz had gotten the best of him. This brat was truly something else.

They spent another half hour in silence, during which Noiz ate at least five slices of pizza to Aoba’s three. It was almost impressive. When Aoba glanced at his coil to check the time he nearly choked again.

1:23 AM.

“Shit! Granny’s gonna be pissed. I need to go, but you can have the rest of the pizza. Sorry to run out on you like this.” Aoba quickly caught the waitress’s attention so he could pay. He glanced back to Noiz to find that confused frown had appeared again. “What? I’m really sorry, Granny hates it when I get back so late and –“

“You’re giving me the rest of it?”

“Huh?”

“The pizza. You’re paying for it, so you should take it with you.” That seemed like a strange thing to argue about, but Aoba really shouldn’t be surprised by anything this guy said anymore.

“Ah, it’s fine. There’s only a few slices left and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it more than I will anyway.” He waved the hand that wasn’t holing his coil to the scanner to pay. The frown didn’t leave Noiz’s face though.

“But you paid for it. So it’s yours.” This must be another ‘something for nothing’ that Noiz had so much trouble with.

“That’s true, but that just means I can do whatever I want with it right? And I want to give it to you.”

Noiz seemed to contemplate the logic behind the argument, to no avail.

“I don’t get you.”

“That’s fine. I don’t really get you either, but we have plenty of time to figure each other out, right?” If anything Noiz’s frown seemed to deepen, but he didn’t refute it which Aoba took to mean that they would indeed be seeing more of each other. “Let’s hang out again sometime, yeah? Goodnight, Noiz.”

As he waved and walked out of the restaurant, he could have sworn he heard a quiet ‘goodnight’ whispered behind him.


End file.
